Convertible chair



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

J. H. WOODMAN. CONVERTIBLE 0mm.

No. 509,277. Patented Nov; 21,1893.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' J. H. .WOODMAN. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

N0. 509,277. Patented Nov.,21, 1893.

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m IIAYIONAL undo'euwma cam-um UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOEL H. OODMAN, OF HOBOKEN, NEWV JERSEY.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,277, dated November21, 1893.

Application filed March 14, 1893. Serial No.46fn964. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOEL H. WOODMAN, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudsonand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inConvertible Chairs, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in the construction of convertiblechairs, and it has for its object to combine in one article of furniturea settee, screen and table, and to so construct the article that it willbe durable and ornamental and may be used with equally good effecteither as a settee or as atable, the portion of the device which servesas a screen when the article is used as a settee, being utilized as atable top when folded downward from a vertical to a horizontal position.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the article of furniture in use as asettee and screen. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the article offurniture in use as a table, the top of the table being plain. Fig. 3illustrates the article of furniture in perspective and as convertedinto use as a billiard table. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section takentransversely through the article of furniture when in use as a billiardtable; and Fig. 5 is a detail sec-- tional view, illustrating the adjustability of the legs employed to partially support th table.

In carrying out the invention the settee A, is constructed in theordinary shape, and may be given any design that fancy may dictate. Thearms 10 of the settee have preferably produced in their upperfacecavities 11; and upon the back 12 of the settee a screen B, is hinged,pivoted or attached in any suitable manner, the screen being adapted toextend a slight distance downward below the top of the back. i

The screen may be made of any suitable or approved material; preferablyhowever, it is constructed of veneers of wood cemented together, thegrain of thesame running at angles to each other, and is given arectangular or like shape. The screen B, is adapted to extend upwardsome distance beyond the top edge of the back of the settee and to standin a vertical position, being so held by latches 13, of any approvedconstruction, which latches may enter apertures 14:, formed in brackets15, attached to the front portion of the screen.

Ordinarily and preferably a shelf 16, is constructed upon the screennear its upper end, and this shelf is supported by suitable brackets 17.Legs 18, are hinged to the lower ends of the brackets 17, and virtuallyconstitute a continuation of said brackets, or a portion thereof. Thelegs are adapted to fold outward and stand at a right angle to the frontface of the screen, and the lower outer edge of the bracket is providedwith ornamental grooves 19, and the upper outer end of the legs isprovided with correspondingly located ornamental ribs 21, so that whenthe legs are carried at a right angle to the screen the ribs on the legswill fit into the ribs of the bracket and thus the legs will have a firmbearing or support, as shown in Fig. 2; but if in practice itis founddesirable and as shown in Fig. 4., the surfaces of the leg and bracketthat are to be brought together may be simply beveled; in either eventthe locking surfaces of both the brackets and the legs are of somewhatornamental character when exposed to view, which is the case whenthepart isused as a screen. The lower end of each leg is preferablyprovided with a rubber tip 22; and the leg is made in two sections, anupper section a and a lower section a, as shown in Fig. 5, the lowersection being connected with the upper section by means of a screw 23,upon which it is held to turn. Therefore the leg can be rendered shortor it may be lengthened as in practice may be found desirable. When thelegs are folded close to the screen, as shown in Fig. 1, extendingparallel therewith, the lower ends of thelegs may rest upon lowerbrackets 24, secured to the front face of the screen, as shown in Fig.1, and in this manner the brackets supporting the shelf 16, will appearto be made up of capitals, bases and columns.

When the article of furniture is to be used as a table, the latch 13, isdisconnected from the screen and the screen is brought down to thehorizontal position, one portion of it resting upon the back of thesettee, and the legs are dropped to stand at a right angle to the frontof the screen, which will be the under face when the screen is utilizedas a table, and the rubber tips of the legs will thereupon enter thecavities 11 in the arms of the settee. By this means the article offurniture may be utilized as a table, the table top being the screen,and the said table top will be firmly supported in a horizontal positionand the top will be enabled to bear considerable weight.

The back of the screen, which when used as a table top is the top face,may be perfectly smooth, as shown in Fig. 2, or the back of the screenmay be provided with marginal flanges 25, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, thesaid flanges being provided upon their inner faces with cushions 26, andwhat is really the upper face of the table may be covered with baize, orother material, and as shown in Fig 3, the back 'of the screen may thenbe utilized as a billiard table.

It is often advantageous, when the article of furniture is to beutilized as a table, to provide shelves at the back of the settee;therefore beams 28, are located upon the back of the settee at suitableintervals apart, preferably one near the center and the other at or nearthe bottom, and shelves 29, are hinged to these beams or pivotedthereon, the shelves being connected by chains 30, cables, or theequivalents thereof, with one another and with what is the front lowersurface of the screen, as shown in both Figs. 2 and 4, the attachmentbeing so made that when the screen is in an upright position the shelvesmay drop downward vertically, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4;; butwhen the screen is carried to the horizontal position and utilized as atable top the chains will draw the shelves upward to their horizontaland proper position simultaneously with the screen assuming itshorizontal position.

If in practice itis found desirable the chains may be omitted and theshelves may be permanently or rigidly secured to the back of the settee,or they may be detachably connected therewith; and when the screen is tobe utilized as a billiard table top, cleats 31, may be attached to oneor to both surfaces to receive the cues 32, as shown in both Figs. 3 and4. If the table top is not exactly level it may be rendered so byadjusting the lower section of the legs 18. Thus it will be observed anarticle of furniture of considerable utility is obtained, as it may beused as a settee with a screen at the back, or it can be employed as atable, the table being capable of use for any purposes to which a tablemay be applied, while the entire article may be artistically shaped anddecorated, or it may be made exceedingly plain, as may be preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with a settee provided with armshaving cavities in their upper faces, of a screen pivoted to the back ofthe settee and provided with spaced brackets on its front face, and withlegs hinged to said brackets and having inclined shoulders correspondingto others on the brackets, the said legs being adapted when folded torest upon the screen between the brackets and when swung out or down torest in the cavities upon the arms of the settee, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the settee proper, having arms, of the screenpivoted thereon and extending over and below the back of the settee,means for supporting the screen horizontally, and shelves having ahinged connection with the rear of the settee and a flexible connectionwith the rear portion of the screen, as shown and described.

3. The combination with a settee, a screen hinged a short distance fromone edge to the back of the settee, and means for supporting the screenin a horizontal position, of shelves hinged to the back of the settee,and chains or cords connecting the shelves with each other and with thescreen, substantially as described.

4. In an article of furniture, the combination, with a settee and ascreen attached to the back thereof, a portion of the screen extendingover or below the back, the screen being adapted to assume a vertical ora horizontal position, of legs hinged to the forward face of the screenand adapted to engage with sockets formed in the settee, the legs beingconstructed in adjustable sections, and shelves having a hingedconnection with the rear of the settee and a flexible connection withthe rearwardly extending portion of the screen, as and for the purposespecified.

JOEL H. WOODMAN.

Witnesses:

L. GRIENEISEN, JAMES B. BOYLAN, Jr.

